Man behind Oscar the Grouch brings magic of SesameStreet to Galway

Date Published: 20-Dec-2010

By Denise McNamara

The heart and soul of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch treated an invited audience to an intimate evening of puppetry at the g Hotel.

Carroll Spinney, who has been with the Sesame Street gang since it first aired in 1969, has been coming to the west of Ireland with his wife Debra for Christmas for the last 17 years. This was his 27th visit in total.

Last year he stayed in the Dublin Road hotel before his annual retreat in Ashford Castle and decided to stage the show for a small group of children.

He hopes to make it an annual event featuring Oscar the Grouch and other characters such as the Big Bad Dragon, a fearsome wombat, a cheeky fairy and a rather obnoxious king. Unfortunately Big Bird was too big to travel on the plane from his Massachusetts home.

.This year five families of four won a competition for the event last Thursday through Galway Bay FM. Other guests included families with sick kids who are involved in the Make A Wish Foundation. The hotel is donating €1 from every Santa visit this year to the charity.

Carroll and Oscar posed for photos with even the smallest kids at the event, which took place last Thursday, although it must be said that some found the cranky muppet more than a little scary.

Read more in this week’s Connacht Sentinel